Portions of the Psalms are also referred to as authority for the gospel being the instrument designed by God for the conversion of the world. Some readily point to Psalm 2. The words, “Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession,” are often wrested from the context as proof of the world’s conversion by the gospel. Whereas, the words which immediately follow are, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces as a potter’s vessel,” and plainly show that it is judgment upon the enemies of Christ, and not salvation, of which this scripture speaks; and that He will take possession of the earth by righteous power, for when He comes out of heaven, He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. It is not grace here, but wrath; hence it is added, “Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little.” (Psalm 2:8-128Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:8‑12).) Or, part of Psalm 67 maybe quoted, “That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.....Ο let the nations be glad and sing for joy.” Whereas the next words are, “For thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth, Selah;” which show that the time referred to here is not now, but when the Lord takes to Himself His great power and reigns, and the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ.
There is another matter for which refuse is taken in the Psalms for authority, we mean the practice of naming a building on earth, which may be used for preaching, “the house of God,” or “the house of the Lord.” It is quite true that it is there stated, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of Jehovah;” but what house is this? Do not the next words plainly show that it is the temple at Jerusalem, and no other house? “Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together, whither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jehovah, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of Jehovah.” (Psalm 122:14.) Can there be a doubt that it is Israel’s future which is here contemplated? So tenacious are many in regarding a certain character of building as the “house of God,” and so entirely has the spiritual character of worship and service been let slip, that it is not uncommon to find the very words used in reference to the temple of Jerusalem, and the Jewish worship of Jehovah, applied to ecclesiastical buildings on earth now. Sometimes it may be seen in large letters over a building used for preaching and other ecclesiastical practices, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.” But we need only to read through the whole Psalm to discover that it points to the time of Israel’s period of future blessing on the earth, when the temple with its services, worship, sacrifices and certain feasts will be restored, and celebrated according to the due order for Jehovah’s glory. See Psalm 51:18, 1918Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. (Psalm 51:18‑19); Eze. 40:1818And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement. (Ezekiel 40:18).
However Christendom may have let slip many of the special doctrines of Christianity, and appropriated Jewish things to themselves, because a legal and carnal order of religion always gives man a place of importance, and distinction in the world; we trust enough evidence has been brought forward to show that the great subject of the Psalms is not the church, but Israel, a godly remnant of suffering ones, and, of course, much of their Messiah is also brought before us. Apostate Jews are every here and there referred to, and the distinction between the righteous remnant, and ungodly people of the land, remarkably kept up.
As before observed, the Psalms are divided into five books. We will now, in concluding our remarks, notice some of the leading characters of each of these books.
Book 1. The whole of the first forty-one Psalms are included in this book. From the references to the temple, the utterances of the tried people, and other features, it seems to set forth the experience of the suffering remnant of faithful Jews while yet in Jerusalem, prior to their flight. More therefore is said of their Messiah, and especially of His personal history, than in any other book of the Psalms. He is set before us as the blessed Man, His Anointed, God’s Son, God’s King, rejected by the people, yet the Son of man, the last Adam, having all put under His feet. We have also His experiences and ways in life, His sufferings, His death as forsaken of God, His resurrection, and the King of glory remarkably brought out in this book. Messiah’s death is surely that on which all their hopes are founded.
We must not forget that the suffering of the faithful in Israel at the close will be from ungodly and apostate Jews, the apostate Gentile power headed up in the beast, with the consciousness too of suffering under the hand of God in His governmental dealings with them on account of their sins. Though being upright in heart, under some teaching of the Spirit, and inspired with Jewish hopes, they do not know deliverance and redemption; hence, as before observed, their legal state, fears, and misery, with only now and then a gleam of hope.
Book 2. begins with Psalm 42 and ends with Psalm 72. It is clear from the first few verses in the book that they are no longer keeping holy-day, or connected with the temple service in Jerusalem, but far away at Mount Hermon, cast down, and yet not without hope in God. They feel that the wicked are in power, and speak reproachfully, saying, “Where is thy God?” Having fled from Judea to the distant mountains, according to our Lord’s word in Matt. 24:1616Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:16), they seem not to have now the sense of relationship with Jehovah, so that we find them making God (rather than Jehovah) their refuge, as in the first book.
They are in deepest distress. It is the unparalleled period of the great tribulation. They have fled to escape death; yet they realize that God is their refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The last Psalm of this book gives us a beautiful prophecy of the millennial reign of Christ, the true David and Solomon.
Book 3. We have seen that the first and second books follow each other as to time. Not so this book. It extends from Psalm 73 to the end of Psalm 89. If the first book gives us the experiences of a godly remnant of faithful Jews at the close before the great tribulation, and the second book the experience of faithful Jews who have fled, we have in the third book the experience of faithful ones in all Israel, in both of these periods. No doubt, besides these points we have great general principles.
This book opens with the gracious announcement that “God is good to Israel.” Sometimes they call upon Him as God, and at others remember that He is their Jehovah. The thoughts of the faithful Israelite are not right about the wicked who prosper in the world, till he gets “into the sanctuary of God.” At the close of the book, his difficulty is, with all God’s promises to David, how to understand His ways in governmental wrath, profaning the king’s crown, and casting it down to the ground. In spite of all, they still have some hope in Jehovah, and make Him their refuge.
Book IV., as has been often said, sets forth the bringing in of the First-begotten into the world. (Heb. 1:66And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (Hebrews 1:6).) When He came last it was as the “only-begotten”—God gave His only-begotten Son; when He appears in glory it will be as the First-begotten—the First-born from among the dead. This book extends from Psalm 90 to 106. It is the reign of Jehovah-Jesus. He is great in Zion. All the earth is called to fear before Him. It is frequently said, Jehovah reigneth. He cometh to judge the earth, reign in righteousness, when He will remember His mercy and His truth to the house of Israel, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God.
Christ, as the rejected Messiah, but as yet to build up Zion, and to appear in His glory, is remarkably presented in this book, (102.) The blessings too of Messiahs reign, not only in forgiving the sins of His people Israel, but healing all their diseases, as well as His goodness to creation, are also found here. (Psalm 103; 104) The book concludes with an epitome of God’s power, goodness, and faithfulness to His people (Psalm 105), and their rebellion and unfaithfulness to Him. (Psalm 106)
Book 5. extends from Psalm 107 to the end. It gives the expression of the various feelings, and experiences of the faithful in the last days, before actually entering into their millennial blessings. They have faith in Jehovah, the name of their God constantly used here, as recognizing their true relationship, to be afterward fully established when Jehovah their King reigns before His ancients gloriously.
The faithful in Israel are looked at as redeemed, though going through various exercises under the government of God (Psalm 107); but the One who is now sitting at Jehovah’s right hand is coming to reign in Zion, make His foes His footstool, and establish His people in blessing as the true Melchisedec priest; for then, in the day of His power, His ancient people, now outcast, will be willing. (Ps. 110) The place given by the faithful to the word of God, in all its divine authority, is strikingly set forth (Psalm 119); the character of the kingdom (Psalm 145), and the goodness of God in connection with its introduction, full of encouragement to the faithful. The book ends with abundant praise to Jehovah. The last words are, “Let everything that hath breath, praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah.”